Best Music Universities In The UK – 2023 Guide

Unleash your musical aspirations and embark on a harmonious journey through the vibrant world of music education in the United Kingdom. Welcome to our exhilarating 2023 guide, where we unveil the finest of music universities that will ignite your passion and propel your talents to new heights. Prepare to immerse yourself in a symphony of knowledge, innovation, and artistic expression as we unveil the very best music institutions that the UK has to offer.

Should I Get a Music Degree?

Deciding whether getting a music degree is a good option depends on various factors and individual circumstances. While the value of a music degree can be subjective, it offers several advantages and opportunities for aspiring musicians and music enthusiasts.

Comprehensive Education: Pursuing a music degree provides a structured curriculum that covers various aspects of music theory, history, composition, performance techniques, and more. It equips students with a well-rounded musical education, enhancing their skills and knowledge.
Skill Development: Music degrees focus on honing technical proficiency, musicality, and performance abilities. Through dedicated practice, ensemble work, and guidance from experienced faculty, students can refine their skills and grow as musicians.
Networking and Collaboration: Music programmes often foster a vibrant community of talented individuals. Collaborating with fellow students, professors, and industry professionals can create valuable connections and opportunities for future collaborations and career prospects.
Access to Resources: Universities with music programmes offer access to state-of-the-art facilities, practice rooms, recording studios, and music libraries. These resources can significantly enhance the learning experience and provide valuable tools for artistic exploration.

However, it’s important to note that success in the music industry often relies on a combination of talent, hard work, networking, and entrepreneurial skills. It may not always be necessary to obtain a music degree to pursue a career in music. Some musicians have found success through self-study, mentorship, independent projects, or alternative paths.

What are the Career Opportunities?

A music degree can open up a range of career opportunities in the music industry and related fields. Here are some potential career paths for individuals with a music degree:

Performer: Graduates can pursue careers as solo performers, ensemble members, or session musicians. They can perform in orchestras, bands, choirs, theaters, clubs, cruise ships, or as solo artists.
Music Educator: Many music degree holders become teachers, instructing students of all ages in private lessons, schools, community centers, or music academies. They can specialise in teaching instruments, voice, music theory, or conducting ensembles.
Composer/Arranger: Those with a passion for composition can work as composers, writing music for films, TV shows, video games, advertising, or other multimedia projects. They can also arrange music for different ensembles or create original compositions for performance.
Music Producer/Engineer: Music graduates can pursue careers in the recording industry, working as producers or audio engineers in studios. They collaborate with artists to achieve desired sounds, oversee recording sessions, mix and master tracks, and ensure high-quality audio production.
Music Therapist: Music degree holders can explore the field of music therapy, using music to improve the physical, emotional, and mental well-being of individuals with diverse needs. They work in hospitals, rehabilitation centers, schools, or community organisations.
Arts Administrator: Graduates can work in arts organisations, festivals, concert halls, or record labels in administrative roles. They manage operations, plan events, coordinate logistics, handle marketing and promotion, or work in artist management.
Music Journalism: Music enthusiasts can pursue careers in music journalism, writing reviews, articles, or interviews for magazines, newspapers, online publications, or working as music critics.

It’s important to note that the music industry is highly competitive and often requires perseverance, networking, and adaptability. Many musicians and music professionals also engage in multiple career paths simultaneously or diversify their skills to increase their opportunities.

Best 5 Music Universities in the UK

Here are the best universities for music degrees in the UK entering 2024:

1. Cambridge and Oxford

While music has been a part of the rich history of these fine institutions, they host some of the best facilities and music libraries in any British university. You can find the world famous Bate Collection of Musical Instruments in Oxford, where the faculty also has a gamelan orchestra. Throughout the years, some of the very best in the industry have stepped through these gates.

The University of Cambridge boasts an impressive lineup of individuals who have either studied or taught there. Among them are renowned composers like Judith Weir, Errollyn Wallen, Thomas Adès, and Academy Award-winning film composer Steven Price. The university has also nurtured talented performers such as Joanna MacGregor and Mark Padmore. Esteemed conductors including John Eliot Gardiner and Nicholas Collon have graced its halls, and notable writers and broadcasters like Sara Mohr-Pietsch (Radio 3) have contributed to its intellectual tapestry. Additionally, Cambridge has played host to crossover artists like Delia Derbyshire and Clean Bandit, further enriching its vibrant musical legacy.

Take a deeper dive into Music at Cambridge and Music at Oxford here.

2. University of Southampton

Among all the Russell Group universities, the University of Southampton offers the most choice: of style, instrument and specialisation, from medieval to pop and from composition to musicology. This makes the 3-year BA Music degree a broader experience for all students. While everything is great here, you have the opportunity to spend one semester abroad as well, further expanding your horizons.

Find out what it’s like to study music at the University of Southampton

3. Durham University

The BA Music in Durham University combines the traditional and the modern in the study of music, exploring diverse genres from the past and present and developing exciting new approaches in musicology, composition (acoustic and electroacoustic), analysis, ethnomusicology, music and science, and performance. Be prepared to go through nineteenth- and twentieth-century British music, Indian and Korean music, popular music, music technology, conducting, music psychology, opera, analysis, and contemporary composition. Also, all this will be take place at the heart of a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Durham City. Exciting? I think so too.

4. Guildhall School of Music & Drama

The Bachelor of Music Honours degree at Guildhall School is centred around world-leading one-to-one tuition for performers, composers and electronic musicians. The school offers training in the following principal study areas: Strings, Wind, Brass, Percussion, Keyboard, Vocal Studies, Composition, Electronic & Produced Music and Jazz. Besides that, you can also begin your musical career with partnership organisations such as the Barbican, London Symphony Orchestra and the BBC Symphony Orchestra.

5. Royal Holloway, University of London

The BMus at Royal Holloway is ranked third in the UK for research quality (REF 2014) and the only music department in the country to hold a prestigious Regius Professorship. The well connected faculty also allows you to have access to connections such as Wigmore Hall, the BBC Proms, Royal Opera House. In addition, you will have a chance to work with with professional conductors and receive coaching from leading professional groups such as the King’s Singers and the London Mozart Players.

Listen to what Solomon has to say about studying music at Royal Holloway.

Music University Rankings in the UK

Here is the latest list of the best universities for music in the UK as we enter 2024:

Rank	Institution	Entry Standards	Student Satisfaction	Research Quality	Continuation	Graduate prospects outcomes	Graduate prospects on track	Overall Score
1	University of Cambridge	204	4.03	3.58	99.2	82	88	100
2	University of Oxford	198	3.91	3.08	100	88	84	97.3
3	University of Southampton	168	4.03	3.31	98.8	86	96	96
4	University of Manchester	206	4.03	3.5	96.4	70	70	95.4
5	University of Sheffield	169	4.2	3.32	97.3	82	88	94.9
6	Durham University	208	3.77	3.38	96.3	72	72	94.3
7	University of Leeds	186	3.88	3.47	99	66	76	93.3
8	Guildhall School of Music & Drama	157	4.07	3.28	97.4	90	82	93.3
9	Royal Holloway, University of London	175	3.89	3.68	97.5	72	74	93
10	King's College London, University of London	174	3.71	3.61	91.6	94	76	92.8
11	University of Birmingham	170	3.89	3.21	95.1	82	84	91.9
12	University of Surrey	167	4.19	3.07	98.7	76	72	91.5
13	University of Bristol	168	4	3.41	98.5	72	68	91.4
14	Royal Northern College of Music	150	3.89	2.76	98.3	90	78	89.3
15	University of York	156	4.15	3.29	95.5	74	66	89
16	The University of Edinburgh	206	3.68	3.39	95.3	70	62	88.3
17	Royal Academy of Music, University of London	150	3.96	2.45	96.8	90	80	88.1
18	Bangor University	151	4.18	3.08	95	72	72	87.8
19	Queen's University Belfast	160	3.85	3.2	98.3	64	68	87.7
20	University of Glasgow	213	3.79	3.44	93.9	60	74	87.6
21	Birmingham City University	156	4.01	3.14	95.7	70	78	87.1
22	University of Nottingham	141	3.91	3.43	96.8	64	78	86.6
23	Cardiff University	152	3.96	3.15	96.6	66	64	86.3
24	Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance	132	3.73	2.92	95.8	80	76	84.7
25	Royal College of Music	131	3.96	3.01	99.2			84.6
26	Royal Conservatoire of Scotland	184	3.68	2.83	97.5	74	72	84.3
27	University of Plymouth	139	3.66	3.19	91.2	78	72	83.8
28	University of East London	131	4.13	2.29	98	82	72	83.6
29	University of Aberdeen	171	4.26	2.74	90.4	64	92	83.1
30	University of Liverpool	160	4.01	3.1	92.9	52	56	82.9
31	Newcastle University	157	3.67	3.33	95	50	60	82.8
32	Ulster University	130	4.14	3.07	87.9	72	76	82.5
33	University of Huddersfield	131	4.29	3.56	90.2	58	60	82.4
34	University of Brighton	128	3.83	3.27	96			82.4
35	City, University of London	140	3.66	3.52	88.7			82
36	University of Kent	136	3.59	3.56	90.5	58	72	81.4
37	University of Chester	148	3.8	2.46	95.4	66	66	81.4
38	Leeds Arts University	148	4.29		100			81.1
39	York St John University	128	4.21	2.84	86	76	80	81
40	University of Lincoln	136	3.73	3.04	94.2	54	70	80.7
41	Brunel University London		4.05	2.85	94.7	50	60	80.6
42	University of Winchester	125	4.24	2.86	90	64	66	80.4
43	Falmouth University	118	3.99	3.17		72	66	80.1
44	Edinburgh Napier University	197	4.09	1.95	95.8	58	66	79.9
45	University of Chichester	151	3.72	2.25	94	64	64	79.2
46	Oxford Brookes University	129	3.76	2.63	90.2	72	68	78.9
47	Goldsmiths, University of London	136	3.27	3.19	90.5	64	66	78.8
48	Bath Spa University	127	3.78	2.61	94.8	64	68	78.5
49	University of Sussex	135	3.94	3.19	87.2	54	60	78.4
50	University of Salford	139	4.11	2.78	88.6	58	66	78.2
51	University of West London	135	3.62	2.78	91.1	64	64	78.1
52	University of Gloucestershire	114	4.12	2.69	91	60	70	78
53	Liverpool Hope University	123	3.91	2.63	90.6	58	76	77.9
54	University of Bedfordshire	131	4.32		99	62	66	77.8
55	Rose Bruford College		3.86	2.35	95	52	74	77.6
56	Canterbury Christ Church University	107	3.99	2.96	87.7	62	82	77.3
57	University of South Wales	133	3.95	1.55	94.4	64	72	77.2
58	Middlesex University	112	4.11	2.65	81.4	80	82	76.9
59	Leeds Beckett University	136	3.97	2.29	91.7	56	66	76.7
60	University of Derby		4.13	2.46	93.3	46	64	76.7
61	Coventry University	126	4.09	3.16	78.1	66	76	76.6
62	Kingston University	121	3.94	3.1	87.5	60	60	76.6
63	De Montfort University	136	4.05	3.05	86.3	50	62	76.4
64	University of Hertfordshire	115	4.01	2.71	93.6	58	58	76.2
65	University for the Creative Arts	107	4.35	3.06	95.8	40	56	76
66	Edge Hill University	138	3.84	2.94	87.2	44	68	75.7
67	University of Greenwich	157	3.84		95.2	54	54	75.5
68	Staffordshire University	143	4.28	2.74	93.8	24	36	75.2
69	University of Hull	117	4.08	2.88	85.9	50	58	74.3
70	Nottingham Trent University	126	4.04		92	66	66	74.2
71	Solent University (Southampton)	141	3.89	1.94	90.8	56	54	73.8
72	Anglia Ruskin University		3.41	3.35	83.3	50	70	73.7
73	University of Wales Trinity Saint David	149	3.91		86.8	56	70	73.3
74	University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI)		4.11		90.9	52	76	73.2
75	University of Northampton	124	3.46	2.23	88.7	60	60	72.7
76	Bournemouth University	113	4	2.97	86.2	56	36	72.3
77	University of Central Lancashire	126	3.3	2.29	85	56	58	70.1
78	Buckinghamshire New University	131	3.98		83.3	60	64	70
79	Liverpool John Moores University	130	4.02		82.1	58	64	69.2
80	University of Westminster, London	120	3.77		84.8	74	50	69.1
81	University of the West of Scotland	160	3.63	2.35	82.3	48	60	68.1
82	London South Bank University	86	4.04	2.82	81.8	38	66	66.5
83	University of Sunderland	84	3.93	3.21	78.9	40	64	66.1

Will AI Replace Artists?

Artistry is deeply rooted in human emotions, experiences, and creativity. While AI has shown impressive capabilities in generating art, music, and other creative works, it is not poised to replace artists.

Artists bring unique perspectives, emotions, and narratives to their creations, making their work a reflection of human culture and individuality. AI-generated art may serve as a source of inspiration or collaboration, but the essence of artistic expression lies in the depth of human experience. The future is likely to see artists embracing AI tools as a means of enhancing their creative process, leading to new forms of artistic expression.

How are the Rankings Measured?

The ranking methodology includes several key indicators, such as teaching quality, research output and reputation, industry connections and engagement, international diversity, and citations. These indicators help evaluate the academic environment, resources, faculty expertise, and global impact of relevant institutions. The rankings also consider factors like student satisfaction, graduate employability, and the influence and reach of research conducted by the universities.

Frequently Asked Questions about UK Music Universities

What are the entry requirements for a music degree in the UK?

Entry requirements vary between universities, but typically include academic qualifications such as A-levels or their equivalent. Additionally, a performance audition or submission of a portfolio may be required to assess your musical abilities.

Can I study multiple instruments or disciplines within a music degree programme?

Depending on the university, it may be possible to study multiple instruments or disciplines within a music degree programme. Some programmes offer flexibility and allow students to explore various musical areas, while others may have more specific requirements.

What can I expect from the curriculum of a music degree programme?

The curriculum typically includes a balance of practical and theoretical subjects, such as music theory, music history, composition, performance, ensemble work, and music technology. Some programmes also offer opportunities for specialisation or focus on specific genres or instruments.

Are there performance opportunities for students during the programme?

Yes, music programmes often provide numerous performance opportunities. Students may participate in concerts, recitals, ensembles, and workshops, both within the university and at external venues. These experiences help develop their performance skills and build their portfolios.

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